Snapshots of the Past

[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record] – Vintage Print

[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record], 1935 Nov. 11. — historic photograph
[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record], 1935 Nov. 11.. Historic photograph from the Balloons collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record], preserved in this historic photograph. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.

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[Explorer II on the floor of the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, 5 mins. before the ascent to the stratosphere by Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson for the world altitude record]

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Five minutes before liftoff, the Explorer II gondola sits on the floor of the Stratobowl, a natural hollow near Rapid City, South Dakota, chosen as the launch site. On November 11, 1935, Capt. Albert Stevens and Capt. Orvil Anderson rose from this spot into the stratosphere, reaching about 72,000 feet and setting a world altitude record. The flight was a joint effort of the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Army Air Corps, and its sealed cabin helped show that crews could survive in the thin air of the upper atmosphere. H. Lee Wells Jr. made the photograph.

Created / published1935 Nov. 11.
Medium1 photographic print.
NotesPhotoprint by H. Lee Wells, Jr. This record contains unverified data from old caption card, with subsequent revisions. Caption card tracings: National Geographic Society; U.S. Army Air Corps; Expeditions; Balloons; Shelf.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,446 × 1,850 px · prints to 5 × 6 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-144009

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